1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessory systems for handheld electronic devices, more particularly, the present invention provides a protective carrier system that houses a handheld electronic device and provides retractable earphones, earphone station and storage to the handheld electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Handheld electronic devices are becoming more and more popular as consumer goods and are frequently used in performing our daily communication needs. Devices like the iPhone™, iPad™, iPod™, Blackberry™, cell phones, mobile video players, KINDLE™ eReaders. Android™ devices are now intimate parts of daily life. This popularity has created a desire for protective cases well as varieties of choice for aesthetic freshness that enable these devices with a look of consumer-preferred style with modest cost. Additionally these protective cases have become increasingly armored (stronger) to protect against unintended breakage.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,027, the entire contents of which are enclosed by reference, describes a protective apparatus to accommodate a portable device, such as a cell phone, with a wire-wrap member attached at the back panel. It does not address the problem of tangled headphone/earbud cable when it is wound in such a manner. The headphone/earbud cable can not only become damaged, but tangles are inadvertently created.
US Patent Pub. No. 2011/0233078, also incorporated herein by reference, describes a holder design for portable devices that also provides a storage compartment for earphones. It uses a spring loaded type rewinder which can subject the headphone/earbud cable to undue pressure. The spring loaded rewinder can create drastic, uncontrollable speed of the rotating wheel upon release of the spring loaded mechanism to rewind the cable, thereby damaging and/or shortening the life of the cable. Also of related example are U.S. Published Application No. 2011/0170732 (Parker), U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,956 (Hanna et al.), and U.S. Published Application No. 2010/0279743 (Sim), the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Each of these devices utilizes a spring loaded mechanism to retract the headphone/earbud cable. These spring loaded device can create drastic, uncontrollable speed of the rotating wheel or spring reel upon release of the spring loaded mechanism to rewind/retract the cable, thereby subjecting the cables to undue pressure, and damaging and/or shortening the life of the cable.
Accordingly, the claimed invention proceeds upon the desirability of providing a storage system for handheld electronic device that safely retracts and stores items.